Professor attends international meeting on public space

In January 2014, Professor Pu Miao from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Architecture was invited to attend an expert group meeting in Rome, organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and the Italian National Planning Institute. Thirty experts from around the world discussed UN-Habitat’s policy approach and strategy on public space, and advised on a planned UN Global Toolkit on Public Space.

Since 2013, UN-Habitat has been implementing a global program on public space. The program embraces quality of urban life as being essential for cities to prosper. Such cities strive towards social equity by generalizing access to urban commons and public goods, expanding the scope for improved quality of life for all. Cities that re-evaluate their notion of the ‘public’ and thereby provide street space, green areas, parks, recreation facilities and other public spaces demonstrate a commitment to an improved quality of life. By sustaining and improving the use of public spaces, they also enhance community cohesion and civic identity.

More on Pu Miao

Miao is an architect and a professor at the School of Architecture, UH Mānoa. He published the book Public Places in Asia Pacific Cities and many papers on public space in the high-density cities of China.

He recently researched his theory in an urban design project in China. The completed project has been published in national professional journals of both UK and China.